Posts Tagged “cucumber shipments”
Two men have each been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after more than 700 pounds (317.5 kg) of methamphetamine was found concealed in a tractor-trailer shipment of cucumbers outside a warehouse in Gainesville, Georgia.
DEA agents monitored the trailer on June 30, 2025, following information about a drug shipment. Andres Jasso Jr., 39, and Rufino Pineda-Perez, 61, were arrested beside the vehicle. A search of the commercial unit found 20 pallets of cucumber boxes containing thousands of individually wrapped packages of methamphetamine.
According to federal prosecutors, co-conspirators had instructed the two men to unload the boxes and separate the narcotics from the produce. Authorities did not disclose the shipment’s origin, sender, intended recipient, warehouse name, or trailer route.
Both men pleaded guilty on March 11 to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Pineda-Perez also pleaded guilty to illegal reentry following a previous removal. Jasso was sentenced on July 17, while Pineda-Perez was sentenced Wednesday. Both will serve 10 years of supervised release following their prison terms.
The DEA led the investigation with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and ICE.
West Mexico winter vegetable shipments are crossing the border into Nogales, AZ, although heavier volume typically doesn’t occur until January.
Shipping gaps of product from Mexico are not as common as they used to be thanks in part to signicant volume coming from vegetables grown under shade houses and in green houses.
Tomato shipments including romas, grape tomatoes and some round tomatoes are gradually increasing in December, with heaviest volume occurring January through March. Mexican red peppers are in very light volume, and similar to tomatoes, are not expected to have significant loadings until around Christmas.
Melons such as watermelons and honeydew are more unpredictable due to winter growing conditions south of the border, but light volumes are expected through the end of the year.
Cucumber shipments have been underway since mid-September, which were soon followed by zucchini, yellow and gray squash, English cucumbers started the third week of October and hard squash in early November. Loadings of those items as well as green beans, and eggplant were underway with the arrival of December.
Mexican vegetable shipments crossing at Nogales – grossing about $2800 to Chicago.